Just was wondering if anyone has ever had their car damaged/vandalized or anything stolen from their car when they've had it at a car show? You put your prized vehicle on display and hope that others will respect your property. You walk away and expect everything will be as you left it when you return. But with what goes on nowadays, you just never know.
2 weeks ago I found a couple of drunk asshats play fighting around my car. One with a beer bottle in hand, fell out his shoes and onto my car. Luckily no damage but he felt I was in the wrong and wanted to fight. Not doing shows for a while.
Never had a problem, but we never leave it alone at a show. The wife and I take turns looking at the other cars while the other one keeps a close eye on it. One thing that makes me nervous are the biker types with huge key chains hanging from their pockets rubbing up against it. I never park it in a Walmart bumper car lot either.
Some middle aged bitch thought she had the right to lean up against the Riviera at one of the last shows I was at. I gave a stare that would melt ice and she quickly sprung forth off of the car. Have some decency. Yeah it’s not a concours restoration but it’s certainly not yours you dumbass.
I was at a cruise in and some asshat let their dog jump up on the side of my car. He left some scratches in the paint. Compound & wax got most of them out but I know where they are. I was walking around looking at other cars when it happened.
One of the rules at our local car show is "no pets", but some people think it is their right to take them wherever they please.
Never really had any issues. Rather its the people stumping for an up coming show tossing fliers into the car while Im away. Get back and theres a small pile on the seat and floor. Really?
Our friend Dan just plain likes cars and most people. Attended a cruise in a near by town in 2018, went around looking and jawing with friends. Has always left his car unlocked and windows down. At this show he returned and found some one had been inside his car and had rifled thru the console and glove box. Said every one near by had been like him and was glad handing other car people. We never leave the car unlocked or windows down far enough to get a hand inside. Kare really worries about the hood ornament a lot so we do not stay away long at most shows. Al
The Prototype was damaged at the GS Nationals in Columbus 1999. I had only stepped away for a minute and when I returned, someone with a SLR camera around their neck allowed the camera to swing forward and strike the right quarter panel just behind the door opening as they looked inside. You could even see the serrations from the lens filter ring in the paint. To say I was upset is an understatement and it's probably good the person that did the damage wasn't around. These days, I do not allow the car to be "un-watched". Usually three of us around the car at one time. This is when I learned of Paintless Dent Removal (PDR). Those guys can work magic and you can't see any evidence of the damage. When the car was painted, they sprayed enough clear and there was plenty of material to work with and the PDR guys polished out the paint damage. If the guy that did this is still out there, you owe me $300 to repair the damage you caused. Still makes me angry.
Three incidents over the last 30 years... First one was some guy with a cigarette gets in my all original showroom 67 Caddy. I come back and he's sitting in it with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. First thought is to yank him to the ground but I was terrified that cig would hit my light blue leather. So I politely asked him to get out then went on a rant after he exited. So now windows up and car locked when I'm not around. Second one, and I still can't believe it happened. Just finished the Stage 1 that year (92) and get parked next to a 70 440 Cuda. The owner walks to McDonalds and promptly sets his bag and drink on my car while he opens his chair. I had been powerlifting at the time for ten years, stand 6'2', weighed 245# and was about to put him through his windshield when the wifey grabs me and says please don't. I wanted to just throw it all inside his car but control myself, was thinking about setting it on his car but refuse to stoop to his level of stupid so I just toss it in the grass behind us and he goes ballistic. We get face to face and I tell him to "back down or I'll stuff you you in your trunk". He turns away, mutters something, collects his stuff and drives out. Third one, one of the judges at a regional show places his clipboard on the roof of my HPOF 67 showroom Caddy (40K miles) while he examines the car. I scream at him, take his clipboard and sail it over the fence behind us into the retention pond. I did not win anything. Mikey
I don't go to shows or cruises as I just cannot stand the rudeness of people, I drive cars now that are a few notches lower than what I used to drive and am happier with that as I don't have to worry about damage so much or get upset when something happens. Still enjoy the old iron, but I go to the gym, Publix, etc and leave the windows and the top down without much worry My blood pressure is better for it.
I have an invisible car at most shows. Once in awhile somebody stops by, but not often. I let clean "no ice cream or sticky stuff" kids crawl around inside the car sometimes. But, I don't have a zillion dollars tied up in it, or have a one of one either. Stealing, now that's entirely different and I have never seen a drunk at a car show here.
Depends on the show, they do one in a city near me and people lean against the cars and put there beer on them like they were in there living room. The Syracuse nationals have been pretty good, I haven't heard any issues there.
I go to show/ cruises all the time, I enjoy them, and the people, yes there are the turds, who are obnoxious, but I refuse to let them stop me from having fun, I have no problems with people touching my cars, as I have more wax/ detailer, my black cars paint ,is as nice as any you'll see, has won best paint many times, but..... I have NO problem . letting anyone know when I feel they are encroaching on "my area" I nicely comment on my concern for my car, 99% have no problem, yes, there is always that "one person" but thats just part of life.
Yup, that bugs me too. My Model T and my Buchev are no longer in concourse condition, but I have brought both to shows at one time or another. No real issues with anything other then the pile of fliers. I hate people who toss their trash on the ground, but I become a litterbug when someone stuffs ads under my windshield wipers in parking lots.
Yes we get the flyers too. But we just put them all together and stuff them in a trash can near by. No need to stoop to their level way I feel. Just don't get it when your sitting right there and they have to stuff things in your car like it was a postal drop box. Al
If I happen to be close by I'll yell at them(nicely) "Dont do that" usually scares them. I will take the flyer in hand, look it over and then hand it back if I'm not interested in whatever they are offering. Most shows around here are min 20 mile drive. Some 50 - 100 miles so it has to be something good for me to go. Prefer judged shows to spectator voting. High car counts and a 50/50 a must.
The reason that I become a litterbug when I find stuff under my wiper blades is to discourage store owners from allowing the flyers.
I went to a show a couple years ago at the Brian Head ski resort in Utah, there was a beautiful 37 Chevy woody wagon parked next to me, The owner had a surf board on top that the wind blew off and hit my 53 by the right rear wheel well. Wouldn't you know there was a knick in the paint, nothing real serious but we didn't see it as one of the bystanders said the board hit up high on the quarter panel. Anyway we found the damage later on but no big deal sh-t happens. The weird part of the story comes later, we ended up at another show and the same guy was there so I told him about the knick in the paint but that I wasn't looking for compensation. He said it wasn't him and that he didn't recall ever being parked next to a yellow and white 53 Buick. I guess he thought I had him mixed up with some other guy with a 37 Chevy woody they are everywhere. Another weird twist to the story is we both have the same last name. Bob H.
Years ago, I restored a 59 VW ragtop for my wife. Unfortunately, it was so absolutely gorgeous she was askeer'd to drive it . SO we took it to our VERY FIRST all VW BUG JAM car show with a FOR SALE sign on the windshield stating $18,900. . We sat closeby all day EXCEPT for a brief sundy-go-to-meetin-bun type lunch break, walking not even a block up the street. Upon returning, some very OVERWEIGHT, sloppily dressed man, 2 dirty shirt kids and his also extremely OVERWEIGHT other half was INSIDE OUR CAR, pulling the folding top back and forth, opening the glove box, kids climbing in the back seat, the dood was pumping the clutch pedal and was sooo huge he was about to break off the restored steering wheel. I DROPPED MY LUNCH, BOLTED UP TO THE CAR, and literally WENT OFF on this family to the point where everyone within 100 feet could hear me... I opened the door and DEMANDED they exit the car or I will call the police and charge them with TRESPASSING... the overweight SLOB got in my face and with his slob wife, both proceeded to tell me "the car is for sale so that means THEY had a right to be in it"... several other car show people backed me up as I yanked the slob and his family out of the car.... he immediately said 'WELL I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO BUY YOUR PILE OF SH_ _t VW anyway"... I had to personally thank all the passers-by for their intervention holding me back from bare-handed ripping the larynx outda this guy... WORSE YET.... as we were leaving the car show, we passed this 2 TON FAMILY walking on the sidewalk with handfulls of 80 ounce sodas and hot dogs and GET THIS. . .the PIG spat on my car as we drove by. . . SOO incredibly Glad I wasnt packing heat that day or I would be in the State Pen today: Manslaughter of a family of 4. Wheelz, Tampa Bay SIDE NOTE: the pix posted of that particular Bug Jam car show was random. The peeps in the pix are NOT the perps...just random individuals setting up early for the event. Thot I should make this clear.
